


Stitches

by sugarandspace



Series: Whumptober 2019 [11]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Hopeful Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Stitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 09:07:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20992274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace
Summary: Alec and Magnus find themselves in a situation that requires emergency medical procedures.





	Stitches

Magnus gasps as the needle pierces his skin. It’s kind of hilarious how such a small point of pain can still feel so strong, even though there’s a cut on his side that reaches deep into the muscle. Somehow that pain feels different though, more of a throbbing pain instead of a sting.

He looks at Alec who isn’t laughing and realises that maybe it is not funny after all. 

It might be the blood loss that’s making him feel like this.

Magnus feels weak, on the brink of passing out. He wants to use his magic to make the pain stop, to make the bleeding stop, and to get back home, but in his weakened state, he wouldn’t be able to heal a papercut. So he’s forced to lay there, on the cold concrete floor of an abandoned building while his boyfriend patches him up enough for them to get back to the reach of help.

All in all, it was a successful mission, the Circle members dead on the ground around them. Magnus feels embarrassed by the fact that one of them was able to surprise him and sink her blade to Magnus’ side before he was able to react.

That particular Circle member is laying just a few feet from them, burned to a crisp by the heat of angry magic.

She had been one of the last ones, and Magnus and Alec had been able to clear the rest of them quickly after the hit. When he no longer needed to fight for his life in that context, Magnus had been able to feel the effects of the wound. It was deep, it bled, and it hurt like hell.

They had quickly realised that Magnus wasn’t able to heal himself and that there was no cell service that would have allowed them to call for help. They needed to get back from the mission by themselves, and they couldn’t do it while Magnus was bleeding himself dry.

Alec had held Magnus’ scarf to the wound, hoping for the flow of blood to calm down enough for them to be able to move, but as more and more blood rose to the surface they quickly realised that they needed a solution way more lasting.

That’s when Alec had spotted a medical kit, and his search through it had provided them with a needle and some thread.

“I need to stitch you up,” Alec had said with his eyes full of worry and uncertainty. It was not a look Magnus wanted to see in the eyes of someone who was about to sink a needle into his side.

“You ever done that before?” Magnus had asked.

“Not to a real person,” Alec had admitted. “I did it once in first aid training though.”

“You better not leave me with a nasty scar,” Magnus had said as he’d moved the shirt out of the way. He was joking, of course, since the wound would be eventually healed with magic - if he got out of here alive. 

Alec hadn’t laughed then either.

Magnus gasps as Alec pours more disinfectant to the wound.

“What if you just gave that to me?” Magnus suggests through gritted teeth. “I don’t think we need to worry about infections but I believe it’s quite potent in alcohol and maybe it could help with pain management.”

“I’m not letting you drink disinfectant,” Alec says seriously while he keeps his eyes focused on the wound.

Magnus knows this isn’t easy for Alec either, and he tries his best not to show him how badly he’s hurting. Magnus is taking short breaths through his teeth, his jaws aching from the force with which he bites his teeth together. As he squeezes his eyes closed he feels a couple of stray tears roll down his temples.

“I’m sorry,” Alec says quietly, and Mangus fights his eyes open to be able to look at his boyfriend who is still looking at the wound and sewing it shut. It’s obvious that Alec is trying to spare Magnus from his true feelings as well, and Magnus can appreciate it. Alec might be worried and he might feel bad for causing even more pain to Magnus, but on the outside he’s calm and collected, appearing in control of the situation.

And it brings Magnus comfort.

“Don’t be,” Magnus says. He lifts his hand to rest on Alec’s thigh. It leaves a bloody smear to the dark fabric. “You are saving my life.”

Alec doesn’t reply, and it’s quiet in the room for a while - save for the pained gasps Magnus is letting out. It feels like a forever until Magnus can no longer feel the needle on his skin.

“Okay,” Alec says as he places the needle on the floor. “All done.”

Magnus looks down at his side then and sees the black uneven stitches there on the bloody skin. There’s still some blood around the wound, but it’s more of a slow trickle than a steady flow. His fingers and feet feel cold, and he feels weak and nauseous, but he also feels like he’ll be able to get out of here.

He misses the loft, the luxurious shower, and the soft bed.

He starts to rise up and immediately feels Alec’s hands supporting him. The movement pulls at the stitches and Magnus bites back a pained scream, but somehow they end up into a standing position. Alec is supporting most of Magnus’ weight as he is slumped both in weakness and the dizziness caused by the lack of blood in his system. 

“Can you walk?” Alec asks worriedly.

“Yes,” Magnus replies, but as he takes a step forward he stumbles. He would be on the floor if it weren’t for Alec’s arms holding him steady.

“Hold on,” he says, righting Magnus back up before he reaches to take his stele out of his pocket. Magnus watches as Alec activates the strength rune on his arm, all the while making sure that Magnus won’t fall.

If Magnus’ mind wouldn’t have worked so slowly, he probably would have been able to guess what was about to happen. But it feels like he’s watching the world through a fog and with a ten-second delay, so he’s surprised when Alec scoops him up from the ground.

“What-” 

“Don’t argue,” Alec says simply. “This will be faster and easier, I don’t care how much you feel like you’ll be able to walk out of here.”

And maybe Magnus would have liked to argue for the sake of his dignity, but a bigger part quite likes the feeling of being safely in Alec’s arms. He might not be soft like his bed but he is warm and comforting, and Magnus lifts his arms to loop them around Alec’s neck. Not for the fear of being dropped, but to help Alec stay more balanced.

He’s going to be fine. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me from [tumblr](https://sugarandspace.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/sugarandspace_)!


End file.
